Card-supported transparent package



June 25, 1957 R. T. GORTON CARD-SUPPORTED TRANSPARENT PACKAGE I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1956 Attorneys J n 5, 1957 R. T. GORTON CARD-SUPPORTED TRANSPARENT PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1956 INVENTOR. Robert T Gar/0n H67 H66 F/G9 BY 3 age! Unite rates CARD-SUPPORTED TRANSPARENT PACKAGE Application June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,553

8 Claims. (Cl. 206-78) The present invention relates to a package for an article of manufacture, and more particularly to a package of the type utilized for display mounting and dispensing of an article or articles and having a receptacle portion supported on a card portion. The receptacle may be transparent so that the article may be viewed therethrough.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a combined article receptacle and display card in which the receptacle is mechanically attached to the card; to provide an article display package having movable receptacle securing means whereby the receptacle may be easily inserted or removed without damage to the package; to provide locking means for said securing means; and to provide an article display and dispensing package attractive in appearance and inexpensive to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the inside face of a display card blank;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the completed display card formed from the blank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the package showing a transparent receptacle and its contained article partly inserted into the display card;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the completed package;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank for forming the card of a modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal central section through the folded card taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6 with the locking tab in retracted position;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the locking tab in locking position, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the card with the receptacle attached thereto;

Fig. 10 shows the position of the parts of the card when the receptacle is being inserted or removed; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary rear view of the package showing the locking tab in locking position.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, the invention comprises a flat two-ply display card 10 (Fig. 2) made from the card blank shown in Fig. l. The blank is formed of a single sheet of cardboard or like material die cut to the configuration shown. The blank is scored along fold line 11 to provide front and back card plies 12 and 14. The plies are additionally scored along transverse lines 15, 16, 17 and 18 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Front ply 12 is provided with an elongated receptacle aperture 19. Back ply 14 is provided, at the proper time, with longitudinal adhesive lines 20 and 21. A generally rectangular colored or other contrasting surface portion 23 or panel to provide a suitable background for the article to be displayed may be printed or otherwise provided on panel 14 which atent' Z 9li, 9 Patented June 25, 1957 also has a U-shaped cut 22 having a bight 36. The U-shaped cut defines a receptacle ramp 24 for a purpose described hereinafter.

The display card is formed by folding front ply 12 about score line 11 into overlapping relation to back ply 14. The plies are joined by pressure at least along adhesive lines 20 and 21 to make the completed folded display card shown in Fig. 2. Obviously the plies 12 and 14 may be otherwise attached together as by stapling, stitching or locking tabs.

Associated with the card 10 is a hollow receptacle 25 which may be fabricated of any suitable material such as one of the formable synthetic resins, preferably a transparent material. Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the receptacle 25 is shown as an oblong member generally U-shaped in cross-section and comprising a top wall 26 and side walls 28 which, in conjunction with the top wall 26, define a hollow chamber 29. The periphery of the receptacle opening is provided with outwardly extending flange elements 36 and 31 which lie in a plane. The ends of the receptacle are closed, as shown.

Receptacle 25 is shown as containing a screwdriver 32, for purposes of illustration, and it will be obvious that a variety of articles may be packaged with the present invention and that the size and shape of the receptacle and card may be formed to suit the article. The receptacle 25 with its contained article is readily inserted into the display card to form the completed package in the manner hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the portion of the card 10 to the right of score lines 15, 16, 17 and 18, except for ramp 24, defines a receptacle locking flap 34. The flap 34 is folded upwardly along said score lines whereby the right hand portion of aperture 19 and the cutout formed by the U-shaped cut 22, 36 may receive the receptacle 25 therethrough as shown in Fig. 3. The receptacle ramp 24 in back ply 14 remains as a projection of said ply to facilitate insertion of the receptacle 25. As shown, the receptacle is placed with its flanges 30 and 31 resting on the ramp 24 and then inserted into the card, the flanges 31 being slipped between the plies 12 and 14 of card 10. In the fully inserted position, full closure of the receptacle is effected by the inner face of ply 14 including its integral ramp 24 as shown in Fig. 4. After the receptacle 25 has been fully inserted, the locking flap 34 is folded back to its normal position to lock the receptacle 25 in place within the display card 10 as shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the end edge 35 of aperture 19 abuts the end of receptacle 25. The longitudinal edges 38 of aperture 19 are juxtaposed to the side walls 28 of receptacle 25 to snugly position the receptacle in the aperture and the end walls of the aperture are similarly juxtaposed to the end walls of the receptacle. The receptacle can be removed only by raising locking flap 34 to the position shown in Fig. 3, by bending it on the score lines.

The completed display package as shown in Fig. 4 affords a neat, compact, sturdy and attractive method of displaying the contents of the transparent receptacle 25. Moreover, the receptacle may be removed as often as desired without damage to the receptacle or the display card.

From the foregoing description of the structural features the production of the package Will for the most part be apparent. The card of Fig. l is produced by usual die-cutting, scoring and printing methods as used in the paper box industry. The glue lines 21 and 21 may be applied by known gluing apparatus and the card folded on score line 11 to produce the finished card portion of the package. The receptacle 25 is molded in any desired manner. The cards and receptacles may be separately supplied to the user. The article is placed in the receptacle and the receptacle slipped into place in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, moving in the direction of the arrow, the flap. 34 having first been raised. Lowering the flap to the plane of the card completes the assembly. It will be not-ed that glue lines and 21 are spaced from the margins of aperture 19 to provide two unad'hered plies thereabout to receive the flanges 31. Any other type of securing means will be similarly positioned.

In transparent display packages heretofore ntanufactured, the transparent receptacle required the use of special cohesive gluing to its associated card in order to mount the receptacle. This feature .was additionally objectionable for the reason that this precluded removal of the contents of the receptacle without destruction of the package. These problems are avoided by the novel devices, combinations and arrangements of the present invention which eliminate the use of adhesive for directly holding the receptacle to the card.

Referring now to Figs. 61l, the modification there shown is one better adapted fior holding larger or heavier articles, for example flashlight cells. Itditfers from the embodiment described above primarily in the addition of a locking tab which engages the receptacle ramp to hold the receptacle locking flap in its closed position. The card is of different shape, being designed for a receptacle of substantially square outline, but since it has the same essential parts they are designated by the same numbers used in Figs. 1-5, with the addition of a prime, and will not be again described. However, three differences are to be noted. The glue lines 20' and 21', shown in Fig. 6, are disposed along the edge of ply 14' opposite score line 11 and the bottom edge, respectively, and ramp 2 is of such size that the receptacle end flange 30 is completely covered by it. Also, since receptacle is considerably deeper than receptacle 25, the score lines 15', 16', 17 and 18' are in line with the center of opening 19. They will always be so placed that when locking flap 34 or 34 is raised a sutficiently large opening will be provided .to receive the receptacle.

The locking tab is formed integrally-with card ply 14' and, as shown, ex-tends initially outwardly of the central portion of the edge opposite ramp 24'. It is die-cut and scored to provide a tab 49, preferably with a curved edge 41, and a hinge section 42 lying between the score lines 44 and 45 by which it is attached to edge 46 of card ply 14'. When the card is folded on line 11', tab 40 is first folded on line 44 to lie between the plies 12 and 14' as shown in Fig. 7. In this position the tab edge 41 just clears the edge of ramp 24. The tab 40 can be moved into locking position by pushing down (as shown in the drawings) on hinge portion 42, which bends on line 45, until the portion 42 lies between the card plies. This moves the tab edge 41 through a distance equal to twice the width of the hinge portion into the position shown in Figs. 8, 9 and ll and the fold on line 44 straightens out. In moving the .tab into this locking position the card is manipulated to cause the tab to overlie the edge of ramp 24 by pressing in slightly on the back of ramp 24'. In locking position no part of the tab is visible from the front of the card since the hinge 42 is then folded between the card plies. The tab is easily unlocked, or returned to the Fig. 7 position, by pushing up on edge 41 whereupon the locking flap portion 34' of the card can be movexl 'to the position of Fig. 10 (compare Fig. 3) to permit insertion or removal of receptacle 25'.

By this structure a flanged plastic receptacle (known in the trade as a bubble) can be very securely held to a card support so that it is capable of holding quite heavy objects without any danger of accidental detachment. Contrary to present practice, in accordance with which bubbles are adhered to cards by adhesive means, such as by being heat sealed to plastic-coated cards, the

package is not destroyed by removal of the bubble.

4, tion, designed for particular articles, have been described it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but is to be construed broadly within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A display package comprising a substantially flat card having at least two plies which are secured together, one of said plies having an opening thcrethrough, said card being scored to provide a hinged reeeptacle locking flap, said score line intersecting said opening, the other of said two plies having a three-sided cut therethrough aligned with and relatively wider than said opening and extending from said score line at least to the adjacent end of said opening to provide the flap when bent on said score line with an opening through said other ply, 'a hollow receptacle having an open side and a flange projecting outwardly from the peripheral portion of said receptacle, said receptacle being inserted within said opening, said flanges lying between said plies.

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein said opening closely surrounds the receptacle adjacent its flange.

3. A package according to claim 1 wherein said threesided cut forms a ramp integral with said other ply along which the receptacle flange slides in entering between the plies of said card.

4. A package according to claim 1 wherein said card plies are formed from a single piece of material hingedly connected along one of the longitudinal edges of the card.

5. A package according to claim 4 wherein said plies are connected together along a line parallel to the hingedly connected edge and spaced irom the adjacent edge of said opening by a distance greater than the width of the receptacle flange.

, 6. A package comprising a hollow substantially rigid receptacle having a pocket to receive material to be packaged and a surrounding flange, a card having at least two plies and an opening inone ply to receive the pocket part of the receptacle, the other one of the two plies having a three-sided cut defining a ramp which'underlies a portion of said opening and is larger than said portion at least by the extent of said flange, said card being scored on a line intersecting said opening so positioned that the flap portion of thecard surrounding the ramp and formed by said score line when bent away from the ramp on said score line contains sufiicient of said opening to permit the insertion of the receptacle between the said plies of the cardand the rebending of the flap portion to lock the receptacle in the card.

7. The package of claim 6 wherein said receptacle is a transparent plastic bubble.

8. In a package comprising a hollow flanged receptacle the flange of which is secured between two plies of a card one of which has an opening through which the receptacle protrudes and the other of which has a threesided ramp underlyinga portion of said opening, the plies of said card being secured together along two lines on opposite sides of said opening, and a portion of said card surrounding said ramp being a movable flap; locking means to prevent movement of the flap relative to the ramp comprising a tab attached to an edge of one of said plies bendable on two parallel spaced-apart lines which define a hinge section, said tab lying between the plies of the card and when bent on one of said lines overlying said ramp and when bent on the other of said lines clearing said ramp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 701,839 Callahan June 10, 1902. 1,673,144 George June 12, 192.8 2,56 Harvey S p 1 1 .51 

